Brittin steps in for Tim Davie, who led the BBC since 2020. Davie resigned in November after a legal case initiated by US President Donald Trump.
On Monday, a former Google executive assumed the role of BBC director-general amid plans for workforce reductions and a $10-billion (€8.5 billion) lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump, stating that the world currently “requires the BBC more than ever.”
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Matt Brittin, aged 57, who comes without prior experience in broadcasting or journalism, begins his tenure amid significant transformations in the media sector.
The UK-born executive led Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division for more than ten years, managing about one-third of the company’s revenue. Before that, he worked as a consultant at McKinsey.
Upon arriving at the BBC’s central London offices on his first day, he faced a small group of protesters from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) waving placards.
The broadcaster has announced intentions to cut up to 2,000 positions while seeking to lower expenditure by 10% over the coming three years.
Brittin expressed to reporters that he felt “honoured” and “humbled” to undertake this position.
However, he cautioned staff that “difficult decisions are inevitable as savings are implemented.”
“It’s essential to be present where the audiences gather, taking bolder risks: trial ideas, learn rapidly, and support successful initiatives,” he added.
Brittin succeeded Tim Davie, who had directed the BBC since 2020 and resigned in November following the Trump lawsuit.
Reinvención
Trump initiated his legal complaint over a documentary featuring an edited excerpt of a speech he delivered before the US Capitol riot in January 2021. The alteration suggested he explicitly called on supporters to assault the US Congress.
In March, the BBC confirmed it formally requested a US federal court in Florida to dismiss the case.
Additionally, Brittin confronts the delicate political challenge of renegotiating the BBC’s Royal Charter, which governs the corporation. This charter is set to expire next year.
A significant part of the BBC’s funding stems from the licence fee, required from all UK households owning a TV or where residents watch live broadcasts online.
Yet, as reported by a parliamentary committee in November, the BBC experienced a revenue shortfall exceeding £1.1 billion (€1.2 billion) last year due to fewer households obtaining the licence.
The lawsuit filed by Trump marks the most recent controversy to affect the corporation.
Earlier in 2025, the BBC had to issue several apologies for «significant errors» during the production of another documentary called «Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone,» aired last February.
In October, the UK media regulator OFCOM imposed a penalty on the BBC for a “materially misleading” programme featuring a child narrator later identified as the son of Hamas’ former deputy agriculture minister.
Brittin highlighted that the BBC has “demonstrated throughout its existence the ability to rapidly reinvent itself to meet audience demands.”
“Collectively, we must now summon that urgency. This entails moving swiftly and with clear purpose,” he concluded in his message to staff.
Additional sources • AFP